Draft-rigging for railway-car couplings.



Patented Sept! I6, I902.

A J. A. mason. DRAFT RIGGING FOB RAILWAY CAB COUPLINGS.

(Application filed Dec. 28, 1901.)

2 Shasta-Sheet I;

(No Model.)

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M 116 racy J- THE uoRms FETERS CO, PNOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. u. c.

shown in horizontal section.

UNITED STATES] PATENT Creme.

JAMES A. HINSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRAFT-RIGGING FOR RAiLwAY-cAR COUPLINGS.

forming part of Letters Patent No. 709,404, dated September 16, 1902.Application filed December 28, 1901. Serial No. 87,554. (No model-J '[0at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES A. HINSON, of Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usea part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in draw-bar draft-rigging forrailway-cars, of

that class in which a cumulative resistance is employed to absorb theshock of sudden impact and of recoil of the parts under the action ofthe springs occurring during the operations of coupling and in tractiveuses.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth,and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims. 1

As shown in the drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal section of a;draft-rigging embodying my improvements, taken on line 1 l of Fig. '2.Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof with parts broken away and withthe'draft-sills Fig. 3isatrans- .verse vertical section taken on line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan view, partly in section, of adraft-rigging, showing a modification of my improvements; Fig. 5 is alongitudinal sectional view thereof, with parts shown in elevation andother parts broken away. Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section on line6 6 ofaFig. 5. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of one of the bearing-blocksfor the draw-barspring removedfrom the other parts of the mechanism.

As shown in the drawings, A A designate the draft-sills, which aresecured to the lower surface of longitudinal floor-sills B by rivets bor other suitable means. C designates the draw-bar of the coupler, whichis located centrally between the saiddraft-sills. D designates a castmetal tailpiece or 'yoke, which is secured to and projects rearwardlyfrom said draw-bar, said tailpiece'being for this purpose provided withforwardly-projecting flanges d,..cwhic h embrace and are riveted to anenlargement or headc at the rear end of the draw-bar. Said draft-sillsand the carsills are shown as made of flanged metal bars, the webs ofthe draft-sills being reinforced by fiat plates or bars riveted thereto;but it will he understood that my improvements maybe'applied to wood carconstructions or combined metal and wood constructions.

The tailpiece is provided near its forward and rearward extremities withtwo horizontal transverse elongated slots or openings d d, through whichextend two horizontally-disposed follower-bars E E. Said bars aresupported at their intermediate portions by said tailpiece and extend attheir ends through openings at in the draft-sills corresponding in sizeand alined with the openings d of the tailpiece, said bars extending adistance beyond said draft-sills A. The length of said slots a and dexceeds the width of said follower-bars E,thereby affording relativemovement of the bar to the tailpiece and to the draft-sills. Two sets ofinner-and outer coiled expansively-acting springs F F are interposedbetween the ends of said follower-bars E outside of the draft-sills andare supported thereon by horizontal retaining-bars F ,which extendthrough said springs and extend betweenand are connected at their endswith said follower-bars. As herein shown, the ends of said retainingbarsoverlie the follower-bars and are folded at their ends down over theedges of the fol lower-bars, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3. Keys f,extending through the follower-bars outside of the retaining-bars,prevent the same and the springs shifting outwardly, and the draft-sillsprevent inward shifting of the springs.

Cooperating with the springs F F are supplemental resistance elementsconsisting of combined roller and friction devices which operate toproduce a cumulative resistance to the movement of the draw-bar whenbrought into action and also act to absorb a portion of the recoil ofthe parts under the action of the springs placed under tension. Saidsupplernental resistance elements or devices as shown in the presentconstruction consist of movable and stationary coactingfriction-surfaces on one side of the tailpiece or yoke of the draw-barand coacting inclined surfaces and a roller on the other side of thetailpiece, one carried by the draft-sills and the other in propercoacting relation by spring-pressure.

As herein shown, G designates a horizontally-disposed block, which ispivotally supported upon a transverse bar or girder H, extending betweenand attached at its ends to the draft-sills in the tnanner shown in Fig.3. The pivotal connection of said block with the bar consists of adownwardly-facing trans verse groove on the under side of the block,which engages or fits over a raised transverse rib H on the bar.

G designates an upwardly-facing frictionplate on the block G, whichengages a downwardly-facing friction-plate D on the under side of thetailpiece. The friction-plates G and D are held from longitudinal andlateral displacement on the block and tailpiece by means of lugs (1 g onthe tailpiece and block, which extend through openingsin said plates DandG, respectively, said lugs beingfiush at their ends with thebearingsurfaces of said plates. a

The pivotal connection of the block G with the transverse bar or girderH enables the friction-plates carried by said bloclr and the tailpieceto be maintained in parallelism notwithstanding wear on said parts.

Desirably the draft-sills and the associated parts are braced fromdistortion by means of brace-bars H which extend laterally and obliquelyupwardly from the lower margins of the sills to and are connected withintermediate longitudinal floor-sills B, as shown in Fig. 3, the innerends of said brace bars being clamped between the lower flanges ofthedraft-sills and the ends of the transverse bar or girder H, as shownin Fig. 3. Located centrally between said draft-sills and above thetailpiece isa rigid lever I, made. preferably,of cast metal. Said leveris pivoted between its ends upon a bolt 1, which extends between andtransversely through the webs of the draft-sills A, andthe lever extendsat its forward end over the rear endot' the tail D of the draw-bar. Saidlever I is provided between its ends with a massive hub 1', throughwhich saidpivot-bolt extends, and the ends of said hnb bear against theinner faces of the draft-sills, thereby retaining said lever in acentral position with respect to the draft-sills.

- The lever is strengthened by a longitudinal centrally-locatedstiffening rib or ribs i on the upper side thereof, extending throughoutthe principal part of the length of the lever.

' The lever is formed at its forward end to provide a downwardly-openingconcave recess shaped to receive the body of a roller J and to formbearings for the trunnions of said roller.

Said rolleroccupies an upwardly-facing recess formed in the top of thetai lpiece between oppositely-inclined surfaces d d Said inclinedbearing surfaces at their lowest parts are connected by a curveddepression, which is occupied by the roller J when the drawbar is at acentral or rest position. Theradius of the curve forming the bottom ofsaid recess is somewhat greater than the roller, whereby the initialmovement of the tailpiece in either direction will produce little or noeffect on the lever. Spring-pressu re is applied to the rear or tail endof the lever in a manner tending to hold the rollerJ pressed against theinclined surfaces (1 (1, whereby movement'of the draw-bar and tailpieceis resisted by said spring. As herein shown, K K designate outer andinner spiralsprings, which are interposed between the tail end of thelever and a transverse bar or girder L, extending between and attachedto the draft-sills, as by transverse bolts Z. Said springs are held inplace bymeans of inwardly-extendingstuds on the lever and bar, asindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

A brief explanation ofthe action of the parts described in the foregoingmay be stated as follows: The stress brought on the draw-bar when twocars are coupled together orvwhen the train is suddenly stopped orstarted imparts to said draw-bar a movement the direction of whichdepends upon the'direction of movement of the cars. Such movement of thedraw-bar acts to compress the springs F F. After an initialcompression'of said springs one ofv the inclined surfaces 01 d dependingupon the direction of movement of the drawbar, acts on the roller J tothrow or thrust the forward end of the lever I outwardly and the rearend thereof inwardly against the action of the springs K K. The pressureexerted by the spring-pressed lever against the upper side of thetailpiece of the draw-bar is transmitted'through said tailpiece to thefriction-plates D G, and resistance due to the friction between saidplates is added to the spring resistance; Said combined spring andfriction resistanceis cumulative, beinggrad ually increased asthedraw-barapproaches the limit of its movement. Owing to the peculiarformation of the recess in the upper side of the tailpiece engaged bythe roller J the springs K K and the friction-producing means are notbrought into action until the springs F F have been placed underpreliminary compression. These parts may be so proportioned that thesprings KK will not be brought into action during the slight movementsof the draw-bar in ordinary tractive usage, such strains being onlytransmitted to the main draw-bar springs F F. In the heavier strains,such as occur in coupling or in suddenly stopping and starting thetrain, the springs K K and friction producing means are brought intoaction, and the combined spring IIO and friction resistance is such asto absorb the maximum practical straius'brought upon the draft-rigging.The space occupied by the springs K K is such that the strength ornumber of the lever-actuating springs may be increased at wi1l,'therebyenabling the strength of the rigging to be varied to correspond with anypractical demands made thereon. The friction between the plates G Dobviously lso acts to retard, the restoration of theparts to theircentral positions of rest, whereby the recoil of the parts is largelyabsorbed and the racking of the parts due to such recoil greatlydiminished.

As shown in Figs. 5, 6, and '7, the draw-bar O is hinged to thetailpiece D in a manner to swing oroscillate in a horizontal plane. Forthis purpose the forward end of the tailpiece of the draw-bar isprovided, in lieu of the flanges d, (shown in'the former figures,) withupwardly and downwardly extending trunnions d di, which extend throughopenings in upper and lower plates 0 projecting rearwardly from the headof said draw-bar. Keys 61 are inserted through openings in the outerends of the said lugs or trunnionsoutside the plates 0 to hold the partsin their proper relative positions. Theplates, O are riveted to the headof the draw-bar in the manner shown in Fig. 5, and desirably theforwardmost rivet passes through upper and lower narrow plates G locatedbetween the forward ends of said plates C and the draw-bar and engagingforwardly-facing shoulders on the draw-bar, as shown in Fig. 5. Thefront end of the tailpiece is curved, as indicated at 19 on an arcconcentric with the axis of oscillation of said tailpiece, and the rearor adjacent endof said tailpiece is correspondingly curved, wherebyrolling contact is preserved between said parts in the swinging movementof said tailpiece. In this construction the retaining-bars F, by whichthe side springs F the ends of the follower-barsE in the manner shown inFig. 4. Said loops are held in place on said followecbars by means ofbolts.

m, passing downwardly therethrough and through said follower-bars. Thebearingplates are provided centrally thereof with lugs m, which passinto the innermost or smaller springs and serve to hold said springscentrally; In the construction shown in the latter figures also thepivotal connection of the friction-blocks Gr with the supportingbar orgirder H is the reverse of that shown in Fig. 1- that is to say, theblock G (shown injFig. 5) is provided with a depending central roundedrib H which fits within an upwardly-opening likeshaped transverse groovein the bar or girder H. The meohanicaleffect of this latter constructionis obviously the same as that before described.

In lieu of the spiral expansively-acting springs K K interposed betweenthe lever I and the cross-bar or girder L, I have shown in the lattermodification the adaptation of leaf-springs to said lever. i i r Themodified construction is shown more clearly in Figs. 4 and 5 and is madeas follows: N N designate superimposed leafsprings which are curvedupwardly at their central portions and are supported onthe upper face ofthe cross-bar or girder L. Said cross-bar or girder is provided at itsside margins and near the ends thereof with a pluralityofupwardly-directedflanges or lugs Z, which constitute, in effect, anupwardlyopening box to receive the springs N. i O designates abearing-block which is interposed between said leaf-springs and the tailend of the lever. Said block is provided at its lower end with a'wideflat face having marginal flanges 0, adapted to overlap the margins ofthe springs, and is provided atits upper ends with a recess or socketwhich receives a centering-stud '5 depending from the tailpiece of saidleverI. In lieu of the block 0 it may be desirable in some instances tointerpose between the leaf-springs and the tail. of the lever aspiralspring adapted to be compressed preliminary to the compression of theleafsprings. In other respects the construction shown in Figs. 4 to 7,inclusive, is substantially the same as that shown in the figures firstdescribed.

It will be obvious that other changes than shown or indicated may bemade without departing from the spirit of my invention and I do not wishto be limited to such details except as hereinafter made the subject ofspecific claims. For instance, I may employ the combined spring andfriction resistance shown with the ordinary type of draw-bardraft-rigging, wherein the draw-bar springis located within a yokeextending rearwardly from the draw-bar. The terms tailpiece and yokeused in the claims are therefore un-- derstood to designate either ofthe said constructions. Furthermore, the device may be applied to thetwo center-sills of a car where no subsills or draft-sills are employed.

I claiin as my inventioni 1. A draft-rigging for cars comprising adraw-bar, a draw-bar spring or springs and supplemental resistanceelements cooperating with said drawbar spring or springs comprisingcoacting friction-surfaces at one side of the draw-bar, coactinginclined surfaces and a roller at the other side of said bar, and aspring for holding said roller and inclined surfaces in coactingrelation.

2. A draft-rigging for cars comprising a draw-bar, a draw-bar spring orsprings and supplemental resistance elements cooperating with saiddraw-bar spring or springs comprising coacting friction-surfaces at oneside of the draw-bar, coacting inclined surfaces and a roller at theother side of said bar, and a spring for holding said roller andinclined surfaces in coacting relation, the pressure of said springsbeing exerted through the drawbar yoke or tailpiece to saidfriction-surfaces to hold the same pressed one against the other. r

3. A draft-rigging forcarsvcomprising a draw-bar, a draw-bar spring orsprings which IIO are compressed through longitudinalmovement of thedraw-bar and supplemental resistance elements cooperating with saiddrawbar spring or springs comprising coacting friction-surfaces at oneside of the draw-bar, coacting oppositely-inclined surfaces, and aroller at the other side of said bar,-and-a spring for holding saidroller and inclined surfaces in coacting relation, saidfinclinedsurfaces being connected by a curved surface formed on a greater radiusthan that of the roller, whereby the drawbar spring or springs may beplaced under preliminary compression prior to the operation of thesupplemental resistance elements.

4. A draft-rigging for cars comprising a draw-bar provided with atailpiece or yoke, a draw-bar spring or springs, a friction-plate on oneside of said tailpiece or yoke, a coacting stationary friction-plate, aspring-pressed part at the other side of said draw-bar,and coactingparts on said spring-pressed part and the side of the draw-bar tailpieceor yoke remote'from the friction-plates, comprising a roller on one ofsaid parts and oppositely-inclined surfaces on the other part.

5. A draft-rigging for cars comprising draftsills,'a draw-bar providedwith a tailpiece or yoke, a draw-bar spring or springs, a flatfriction-plate on one side of said draw-bartailpiece or yoke, a friction-plate stationary with thedraft-sills and coacting with themovable friction-plate, a'laterally-movable part supported on saiddraft-sills at the opposite side of the draw-bar, coacting parts on saidpart and the draw-bar tailpiece or yoke, embracing inclined surfaces onone of said parts and a spring supported on said draft-sills acting tomaintain said coacting parts in operative relation.

6. A draft-rigging for cars comprising a draw-bar provided with atailpiece or yoke, a draw-bar spring or springs, a friction-plate on oneside of said draw-bar tailpiece or yoke,

a coacting stationary friction-plate, a springpressed part at the otherside of said drawbar, and coacting parts on said spring-pressed part andthe adjacent side of the draw-bar tailpiece or yoke, comprising aroller'on one of said parts and oppositely-inclined surfaces on theother part, said stationary frictionplate having a limited oscillatorymovement to maintain the friction-surfaces of the plates in parallelism.

7. Adraft-riggingforcars comprising draftsills, a draw-bar provided witha tailpiece or yoke, a draw-bar spring or springs, a frictionplate atone side of said draw-bar tailpiece or yoke, a stationaryfriction-plate-supported on said draft-sills and cooperating with themovable friction-plate, a vertically-oscillatory1ever supported betweensaid draft-sills, a roller carried by said lever, oppositely-inclinedsurfaces on the draw-bar tailpiece or yoke coacting with said roller,and a spring supported on said draft-sills and acting on said lever topress said roller against said inclined sur faces of the draw-bar.

8; Adraft-riggingforcars comprisingdraft sills, a draw-bar provided witha tailpiece or yoke, a draw-bar spring or springs, a frictionplate atone side of said tailpiece or yoke, a stationary friction-platesupported on said draft-sills and cobperating with the movable friction-plate,a sp ring-pressed part supported between said draft-sillsand a roller carried by i said spring-pressed part, oppositely-inclinedsurfaces on the draw-bar coacting with said roller, said inclinedsurfaces of the draw-bar being connected by a curved surface formed on aradius greater than that of the roller.

9. A draft rigging for cars, comprising draft-sills, a draw-bar providedwith a yoke or tailpiece, a draw-bar spring or springs, a friction-plateat one side of the yoke ortailpiece, a friction-plate supported on saiddraftsills and cooperating with the movable friction-plate, aspring-pressed part supported by the draft-sills, coacting parts on saidspring-pressed part and the side of the yoke or tailpiece remote fromthe friction-plates embracing a roller on one of said parts, andinclined surfaces on the other part, one 'of said friction-plates havinga limited oroscillatory movement with respect to its support wherebysaid plates may be maintained in parallelism.

10. A draft-rigging for cars comprising draft-sills, a draw-bar providedwith a tailpiece or yoke, a draw-bar spring or springs,

a friction-plate at one side of said tailpiece or yoke, a friction-platesupported on said draft-sills and cooperating with the movablefriction-plate, an oscillatory lever supported between said draft-sills,a roller carried by said lever, oppositely-inclined surfaces on thetailpiece or yoke coacting with said roller, and a spring supported onsaid draft-sills and acting on said lever to press said roller againstsaid inclined surfaces of the draw-bar, said stationary friction platehaving a limited oscillatory movement whereby said frictionplates may bemaintained in parallelism.

11. A draft-rigging for cars comprising draft-sills, a draw-bar providedwith a yoke or tailpiece, a draw-bar spring or springs, a friction-plateon one side of said yoke or tailpiece, a bar or girder extendingtransversely between the draft-sills below said frictionplate, a secondfriction-plate carried by said bar or girder and coacting with thedraw-bar friction-plate, said second friction-plate having a limitedoscillatory movement on said bar, and coacting inclined surfaces and aspring-pressed roller at the other side of said yoke or tailpiece.

'12. A draft-rigging for cars comprising a draw-bar, provided with atailpieceor yoke to which the draw-baris pivoted in a manner to swinghorizontally, a draw-bar spring or springs, a friction-plate at one sideof said tailpiece or yoke, a stationary friction-plate IIO IOSAOQcoacting with said tailpiece friction-plate, a

spring-pressed part on the other side of said tailpiece,and coactingparts on the said springpressed part and the tailpiece, embracingoppositely-inclined surfaces on one of said parts,

piece or yoke and through alined openings in the draft-sills, springsinterposed between said follower-bars laterally outside of saiddraft-sills, a friction-plate at one side of said tailpiece or yoke, acoactiug stationary friction-plate carried by the draft-sills, andcoacting inclined surfaces and a spring-pressed roller on the other sideof said tailpiece or yoke.

14. A draft-rigging for cars comprising draft-sills, a draw-bar, atailpiece or yoke extending rearward-1y therefrom, follower-barsextending through openings in said tailpiece or yoke and through alinedopenings in the draft-sills, springs interposed between saidfollower-bars laterally outside of said draftsills, friction-plates onone side of said tailpiece or yoke, a friction-plate carried by thedraft-sills, and cooperating with said frictionplate of the tailpiece oryoke, an oscillatory lever supported on said draft-sills, on the side ofthe tailpiece or yoke opposite to said friction-plates, a roller on saidlever, inclined surfaces on the tailpiece or yoke coacting with saidroller, and a spring supported on said draft-sills and acting throughsaid lever to y hold said roller in operative relation with respect tosaid inclined surfaces.

15. A draftrigging for cars comprising draft-sills, a draw-bar, atailpiece or yoke extending rearwardly from said draw-bar to which saiddraw-bar is pivoted in a manner to swing horizontally, follower-barsextending through openings in said tailpiece or yoke and through alinedopenings in the draftsills, and springs interposed between saidfollower-bars laterallyoutside of said draft-sills.

16. A draft-rigging for cars comprising draft-sills, a draw-bar, atailpiece or yoke extending rearwardly from said draw-bar, saidtailpiece or yoke being provided on its forward end withoppositely-extending lugs, plates extending rearwardly from the upperand lower sides of the draw-bar and provided with openings through whichsaid lugs extend, follower-bars extending through opensills, springsinterposed between said fol-' lower-bars laterally outside of saiddraft-sills, and bearing-plates against which the ends of said springsbear, said plates being formed on or attached to loops which embracesaid follower-bars and are attached thereto.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix mysignature, in. pres ence of two witnesses, this 21st day of November, A.D. 1901.

JAMES A. I-IINSON.

Witnesses:

TAYLOR E. BROWN, GEORGE R. WILKINS.

